Soft palate cancer care at Mayo Clinic

Diagnosis at Mayo Clinic

Examining your soft palate. Your doctor will use a mirror or tiny camera to examine your soft palate and other structures in your throat.

Removing a tissue sample for testing. Your doctor will remove an area of suspicious tissue and send it to a lab for testing. In the lab, specially trained doctors (pathologists) will look for signs of cancer.

Treatment at Mayo Clinic

Treatment for soft palate cancer depends on many factors, such as the size and location of your cancer, your overall health and your preferences. Treatment options may include:

Surgery. During surgery for soft palate cancer, skilled surgeons trained in removing throat cancers will work to remove your cancer.

If the cancer is small, it may be removed during a short operation that won't require a hospital stay. Larger cancers may require more-extensive operations. When the cancer has spread to the neck lymph nodes, lymph node removal may be necessary.

Mayo Clinic's innovative surgical techniques can remove the cancer and provide the best possible function. For example, in transoral robotic surgery, which is less invasive than conventional surgery, skilled surgeons use special instruments to view the soft palate through the mouth and nose.

Radiation therapy.Radiation therapy can be used alone or with chemotherapy or surgery to treat soft palate cancers of all stages.

Chemotherapy. Experienced medical oncologists prescribe chemotherapy — which can be administered through a vein, by mouth or both — to treat soft palate cancer that has spread beyond the throat. Chemotherapy may also be combined with radiation therapy.

Reconstructive surgery. Depending on the location and spread of the cancer, reconstructive surgery may be necessary. Experienced surgeons work to improve appearance and function through reconstruction of the soft palate to restore speech and swallowing function.

Rehabilitative services. To assist in recovery, health care providers at Mayo Clinic offer manyrehabilitative services, including speech therapy, dietary counseling, and physical and occupational therapy. In addition, the Nicotine Dependence Center can help people who want to stop using tobacco.

Palliative care.Palliative care is specialized medical care that focuses on providing relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness. At Mayo Clinic, palliative care specialists work with you, your family and your other doctors to provide an extra layer of support that complements your ongoing care.

Expertise and rankings

Mayo Clinic doctors are widely respected for their experience and expertise in diagnosing and treating tonsil cancers.

Your Mayo Clinic care team

At Mayo Clinic, ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists (otorhinolaryngologists) work as a team with radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, dietitians and plastic surgeons to care for people with soft palate cancer. Other professionals are included as needed. A multidisciplinary clinic run by ENT surgeons specializing in head and neck cancer is conducted weekly to provide comprehensive care for people with tonsil and palate cancers.

Mayo Clinic doctors will work with you to review all of your treatment options and choose the treatment that best suits your needs and goals. The range of treatments offered to people with soft palate cancer includes radiation, chemotherapy and several surgical procedures, including minimally invasive and traditional operations.

Costs and insurance

Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.

In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals, or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.

Please contact your insurance company to verify medical coverage and to obtain any needed authorization prior to your visit. Often, your insurer's customer service number is printed on the back of your insurance card.

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